O-Level Situational Writing: How to Propose
A proposal is a small case for a change. It needs more than a bright idea: tell the reader what the problem is, how your suggestion works and what should happen next.
Make the proposal testable
Start with one sentence that could be approved or rejected: The school should run a four-week pre-order pilot at the two busiest canteen stalls. It has an action, a limit and a place.
Then build each part.
| Part | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Need | What problem does the source show? |
| Proposal | What exact change are you suggesting? |
| Benefit | Who gains, and how? |
| Constraint | What could go wrong or cost time? |
| Response | How could the school reduce that risk? |
| Decision | What should the reader approve next? |
Explain how the idea works
Since the longest queues form at two stalls, the pilot could begin there. Students would place orders before recess and collect them from a marked counter. This limits the change to the busiest points while staff learn whether orders can be prepared in time.
The detail shows that the proposal has been thought through. It is stronger than “the school should improve the canteen”.
Treat objections seriously
Do not write “there will be no difficulties”. Name one that the reader would recognise, then offer a proportionate response: stagger collection slots, test one stall first, or ask student volunteers to guide the first week. The response does not have to solve every problem; it has to show sensible judgement.
Proposal check
- Is the change specific enough to picture?
- Did I use the visual text as evidence of a real need?
- Have I explained who benefits and how?
- Does my answer to one difficulty sound realistic?
- Did I end by asking for an identifiable decision?
Use the canteen proposal practice for a complete task.